Charichuelo, Garcinia madruno, also known as Lemon Drop Mangosteen it is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana and Button Mangosteen, Garcinia prainiana. Charichuelo is a topical evergreen, slow growing, very beautiful fruit bearing tree, indigenous to wet forests of Central and South America.

Garcinia madruno, leaves are smooth, alternate, dark green and leathery. Flowers are perfumed, male and female, borne on separate trees, followed by oval shaped fruit. The plant is very ornamental and makes an excellent showing potted plant.

Charichuelo Fruit

The Charichuelo fruit looks like a shriveled up sagging lemon and with a like rind. It reaches a size of up to 5 cm in diameter and ripens in summertime. It is not a very well known fruit outside of South America and backyard gardens in parts with a wet tropical climate.

The inner part of the fruit is a soft white pulp with a slight citrus taste likened to a sweet Santol fruit, Sandoricum koetjape, or lemony cotton candy. The pulp is edible and has a pleasant sub acid aromatic flavor, when ripe, but can be quite acid if harvested untimely.

Charichuelo Propagation Methods

Tree propagation is by seed. Young plants need protection from frosts. The tree won’t produce fruit in cooler regions but, irrespective of its warm climate preference, it is quite cold hardy and can stand winter conditions. The tree is adaptable to most soil conditions and is not nutrient demanding. Garcinia madruno is a member of the family Clusiaceae the genus Garcinia.

Charichuelo, Garcinia madruno, Lemon Drop Mangosteen

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